Designed Minds

Sara Barber and Moyai Fujimura

Designed Minds has launched our very own podcast! We share insights, resources, and inspiration for our community and your career journey. Unlike traditional podcasts, audience members will be invited to chime in on the discussion and ask questions.  Want to join us as a guest or have an idea for a future episode? Let the hosts know! If you are not a DM member, but would like to join a community of supportive designers, you can apply here: https://www.designedminds.co/application2 We would also love to hear feedback from the community! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScFzUA7tVbp4GhKFZGYdqLSKE7hMYWJh9rJvDM-HW84ln8CTQ/viewform

  1. 8월 26일

    Episode 18 - Streamlining Business Operations Through Design

    For our next episode, we have a very special guest, Khushali Parekh:As a product designer, Khushali spent years designing digital products and SaaS platforms. Recently, Khushali started applying the same UX and product thinking principles to her family's car rental business in Dubai, and realised that design can improve far more than just interfaces. From redesigning customer journeys and WhatsApp communication to building internal systems and shaping marketing workflows, Khushali has been using design to simplify processes, reduce friction, and create better experiences for both customers and the team. Through this experience, Khushali has come to see that product thinking can be a powerful driver of business growth, even in industries that don't traditionally think of themselves as design-led. About the hosts: Sara Barber is a UX Designer at Arizona State University, specializing in accessibility. With five years of experience crafting intuitive and exciting designs, Sara has experience scaling solutions from startups to service organizations and larger institutions. Sara co-hosts the Designed Minds Podcast and serves on the Out in Tech UIUX chapter leadership team. Sara also loves self-publishing zines and co-founded Bisbee Zine Fest! Moyai Fujimura is a product designer specializing in design systems. Coming from a non-traditional path into design, she values shared learning and vulnerability. As a co-host of the Designed Minds podcast and community organizer, she aims to create spaces where designers can share openly, connect authentically, and grow together.

  2. 6월 17일

    Episode 17 - From Corporate to Studio Owner: My Guide to Independence

    For our next episode, we have a very special guest, Andrea Nguyen: Andrea went from full-time employee to founder of Koi Studios, with both a bold leap and a deliberate, risk-aware plan. In this podcast, she pulls back the curtain on the real story: what pushed her to leave, what she focused on in year one, and how the business has evolved since. Along the way, she maps the honest tradeoffs between freelancing, in-house, and agency life. She weighs whether 2026 is actually a good time to go independent, and closes with a concrete 30-day action plan for designers who are ready to make the jump but don't know where to start. About the hosts: Sara Barber is a UX Designer at Arizona State University, specializing in accessibility. With five years of experience crafting intuitive and exciting designs, Sara has experience scaling solutions from startups to service organizations and larger institutions. Sara co-hosts the Designed Minds Podcast and serves on the Out in Tech UIUX chapter leadership team. Sara also loves self-publishing zines and co-founded Bisbee Zine Fest! Moyai Fujimura is a product designer specializing in design systems. Coming from a non-traditional path into design, she values shared learning and vulnerability. As a co-host of the Designed Minds podcast and community organizer, she aims to create spaces where designers can share openly, connect authentically, and grow together.

  3. 2월 2일

    Episode 12 - Career Nomad

    For our next episode, we have a very special guest, Jong Lee:Jong is a freelance product designer and UX designer for the UXR Guild. With a background in journalism, sports radio, education, and management experience, Jong's journey into design has been a long and rewarding one. He considers himself a career nomad, cycling through different careers but one thing always remained the same; he has a love of helping people. Whether it was covering real issues as a journalist, expanding coverage as a sports radio producer, educating our next generation of youth, or mentoring young minds, he always has had a love for providing knowledge to people who want to learn. Jong's mentality is all about taking what you learn and applying it to your career destination. He lives by "No Regrets," both in his personal life and career. About the hosts: Sara Barber is a UX Designer at Arizona State University, specializing in accessibility. With five years of experience crafting intuitive and exciting designs, Sara has experience scaling solutions from startups to service organizations and larger institutions. Sara co-hosts the Designed Minds Podcast and serves on the Out in Tech UIUX chapter leadership team. Sara also loves self-publishing zines and co-founded Bisbee Zine Fest! Moyai Fujimura is a product designer specializing in design systems. Coming from a non-traditional path into design, she values shared learning and vulnerability. As a co-host of the Designed Minds podcast and community organizer, she aims to create spaces where designers can share openly, connect authentically, and grow together.

소개

Designed Minds has launched our very own podcast! We share insights, resources, and inspiration for our community and your career journey. Unlike traditional podcasts, audience members will be invited to chime in on the discussion and ask questions.  Want to join us as a guest or have an idea for a future episode? Let the hosts know! If you are not a DM member, but would like to join a community of supportive designers, you can apply here: https://www.designedminds.co/application2 We would also love to hear feedback from the community! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScFzUA7tVbp4GhKFZGYdqLSKE7hMYWJh9rJvDM-HW84ln8CTQ/viewform